Should I Build It Should I Build It
08 Apr 2025
Cooking

Cooking app, which shows steps and has text-to-speech in real time.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Strong Contender

The market has shown clear demand for this type of solution. Your challenge now is to create a version that stands out while delivering what people already want.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation.

Your are here

Your idea for a cooking app with step-by-step instructions and real-time text-to-speech falls into the 'Strong Contender' category. This means there's demonstrated market demand for cooking solutions, but your app needs to stand out from the competition. With 5 similar products already out there, the competitive landscape is moderately crowded. The average engagement (6 comments) across these similar products is moderate, indicating some level of user interest. While there's no explicit use signal (positive or negative), the lack of a negative signal is somewhat encouraging. Given the existing competition, focusing on differentiation and delivering exceptional value will be crucial for your app's success.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply analyzing your main competitors, such as ReciMe and Crumb. Identify their strengths, like ReciMe's well-received UI and recipe organization or Crumb's AI-driven approach. Scrutinize user feedback (especially the criticism summaries from their launches) to pinpoint areas where they fall short, such as dietary filter limitations or difficulties in recognizing voice.
  2. Focus on 2-3 key areas where you can significantly outperform the competition. Since your idea incorporates real-time text-to-speech, make this a core differentiator. Ensure the voice is natural, clear, and adjustable for different preferences (speed, accent). Test thoroughly with users who have visual impairments to ensure accessibility is top-notch. Another potential area is offering truly unique recipes or dietary plans not found elsewhere.
  3. Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) featuring ONLY the core features that users value most: clear step-by-step instructions, reliable text-to-speech, and a small but high-quality recipe database. Avoid feature bloat early on; prioritize perfecting the core experience. Based on the criticisms from similar products, maybe focus on meal prep suggestions to better facilitate meal planning and execution.
  4. Charge for your app from day one, even if it's a small amount. This will help you validate if there's real demand for your specific approach. Consider a freemium model with limited recipes and features, offering a premium subscription for full access and additional benefits. Since ReciMe has a premium subscription model which seems to work well, this could be an appropriate comparison point.
  5. Prioritize making your first 50 customers incredibly happy. Gather detailed feedback, address their concerns promptly, and iterate based on their suggestions. These early adopters will be your biggest advocates and will help you refine your product for broader appeal. Focus on creating a feedback loop to continuously improve the app based on real user needs.
  6. Consider adding social or community features to enhance user engagement. ReciMe received positive feedback for its social aspects, which could be something to consider to increase engagement and build a loyal user base.
  7. Address the input box truncation issue highlighted in one of the similar product criticisms. Ensure that all input fields are fully visible and easy to use on different devices and screen sizes.
  8. When highlighting unique selling points, remember to differentiate clearly. One app was criticized for lacking unique selling points compared to SuperCook so show how it is different. Highlight the app's AI-driven recipe generation from fridge contents to reduce food waste and create sustainable meals to stand out.

Questions

  1. How will you ensure the text-to-speech functionality is not just accurate but also engaging and enjoyable to use, considering factors like voice selection, pacing, and potential integration with smart home devices for hands-free operation in the kitchen?
  2. Given the competition from established cooking apps, what specific partnerships or collaborations (e.g., with food bloggers, grocery stores, or kitchen appliance manufacturers) could you pursue to gain a competitive edge and expand your user base?
  3. How will you leverage user data and AI to personalize the recipe recommendations and cooking experience, adapting to individual dietary needs, skill levels, and available ingredients while also addressing concerns about data privacy and security?

Your are here

Your idea for a cooking app with step-by-step instructions and real-time text-to-speech falls into the 'Strong Contender' category. This means there's demonstrated market demand for cooking solutions, but your app needs to stand out from the competition. With 5 similar products already out there, the competitive landscape is moderately crowded. The average engagement (6 comments) across these similar products is moderate, indicating some level of user interest. While there's no explicit use signal (positive or negative), the lack of a negative signal is somewhat encouraging. Given the existing competition, focusing on differentiation and delivering exceptional value will be crucial for your app's success.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply analyzing your main competitors, such as ReciMe and Crumb. Identify their strengths, like ReciMe's well-received UI and recipe organization or Crumb's AI-driven approach. Scrutinize user feedback (especially the criticism summaries from their launches) to pinpoint areas where they fall short, such as dietary filter limitations or difficulties in recognizing voice.
  2. Focus on 2-3 key areas where you can significantly outperform the competition. Since your idea incorporates real-time text-to-speech, make this a core differentiator. Ensure the voice is natural, clear, and adjustable for different preferences (speed, accent). Test thoroughly with users who have visual impairments to ensure accessibility is top-notch. Another potential area is offering truly unique recipes or dietary plans not found elsewhere.
  3. Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) featuring ONLY the core features that users value most: clear step-by-step instructions, reliable text-to-speech, and a small but high-quality recipe database. Avoid feature bloat early on; prioritize perfecting the core experience. Based on the criticisms from similar products, maybe focus on meal prep suggestions to better facilitate meal planning and execution.
  4. Charge for your app from day one, even if it's a small amount. This will help you validate if there's real demand for your specific approach. Consider a freemium model with limited recipes and features, offering a premium subscription for full access and additional benefits. Since ReciMe has a premium subscription model which seems to work well, this could be an appropriate comparison point.
  5. Prioritize making your first 50 customers incredibly happy. Gather detailed feedback, address their concerns promptly, and iterate based on their suggestions. These early adopters will be your biggest advocates and will help you refine your product for broader appeal. Focus on creating a feedback loop to continuously improve the app based on real user needs.
  6. Consider adding social or community features to enhance user engagement. ReciMe received positive feedback for its social aspects, which could be something to consider to increase engagement and build a loyal user base.
  7. Address the input box truncation issue highlighted in one of the similar product criticisms. Ensure that all input fields are fully visible and easy to use on different devices and screen sizes.
  8. When highlighting unique selling points, remember to differentiate clearly. One app was criticized for lacking unique selling points compared to SuperCook so show how it is different. Highlight the app's AI-driven recipe generation from fridge contents to reduce food waste and create sustainable meals to stand out.

Questions

  1. How will you ensure the text-to-speech functionality is not just accurate but also engaging and enjoyable to use, considering factors like voice selection, pacing, and potential integration with smart home devices for hands-free operation in the kitchen?
  2. Given the competition from established cooking apps, what specific partnerships or collaborations (e.g., with food bloggers, grocery stores, or kitchen appliance manufacturers) could you pursue to gain a competitive edge and expand your user base?
  3. How will you leverage user data and AI to personalize the recipe recommendations and cooking experience, adapting to individual dietary needs, skill levels, and available ingredients while also addressing concerns about data privacy and security?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 5
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 6
  • Net use signal: 26.5%
    • Positive use signal: 26.5%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 4.2%
    • Positive buy signal: 4.2%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

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